Bearing the brunt of climate change

The warming climate has shrunk the Arctic sea ice on which the polar bears hunt for seals. Researchers have documented skinnier bears, found that their cubs are surviving at lower numbers and that bears are drowning.

From the story: “(T)oday’s proposal will mark the first time the administration has identified climate change as the driving force behind the potential demise of a species.”

Must leave Sen. Inhofe — a strident climate change naysayer — spinning in his minority chair (see this blog and this one).

The proposal is supposed to be in the Federal Register, though I haven’t been able to find it yet.

And flipping poles, I caught the dancing penguin movie “Happy Feet” over the holiday. Relatively entertaining, though I have to say I was a tad troubled by one of the films themes, which seemed to be that unless you’re a very cute species skilled in the soft shoe, you’re of very little interest to mankind and not particularly worth saving.

Perhaps the bears could get a synchronized swimming routine sorted out?